A Game
by Blue03A
Summary: Another MuffinClan Challenge!


_Stonekit was different from the rest. While they played and talked, he was silent. He had never spoken a word to anybody. Nobody at all. That might've been why he was a target._

_Maybe it was because he had lost his mother. Maybe because he was the only kit in his litter. Maybe because his father had been killed by another clan. Maybe because no one defended him, making him an easy target._

_Then again, maybe it was because he was a runt. Maybe it was because he was the smallest kit. Maybe because he was the youngest kit. Maybe because he was the weakest kit. They were all factors._

_Maybe it was because Stonekit took it in. Maybe because he never told them to stop. Maybe because he gave in easily. After all, for a kit with no friends or family, what is there to hope for?_

_One fateful action brought it all crashing down though..._

Stonekit yawned, waking up from a dreamless sleep. He hadn't had his reoccurring mouse dream, and thankfully not the vicious nightmares. He sat up, blinking silently. The gray kit with dull yellow eyes looked around the nursery. Then, his gaze fell on other kits in the nursery, and his mood dropped instantly when he saw Blazekit and his siblings, Amberkit and Nightkit. Then again, they could also be referred to as his 'followers'.

Those were the three cats that always bullied him. Never just left him alone. He was a mouse compared to them. They were not much older, but significantly bigger. It didn't help that they _stalked_ him like a mouse as well. And hunted him as well. Just then, Amberkit was watching him with slitted eyes.

Stonekit turned away, attempting to close his eyes. But no, Blazekit, Amberkit, and Nightkit were already moving towards them, Blazekit swaggering in front. The other tom kit was silver with white streaks and yellow eyes. He had a white-tipped tail and a gray muzzle, which he held up high and proud.

Amberkit was a brown she-kit with green eyes. She had lighter brown stripes down her back, and the same colored muzzle, face, underbelly, chest, and tail-tip. She was smaller than Blazekit, but slightly bigger than Nightkit.

Nightkit was another tom kit, with a black pelt and yellow eyes. He was all black, except for some gray splashes. Combined together, they hurt Stonekit more than imaginable.

"So, runt, what are you going to try, and FAIL at today?" Blazekit sneered, while Amberkit laughed, a noise that made Stonekit's ears hurt. Flattening them back, he faced the terrible three. He just looked at them, emotionless, dull yellow eyes staring into their own. He merely flicked his tail; moving would just make them more persistent.

"You're nothing. No wonder your mother died! It was to get away from you!" Blazekit crowed, a smirk on his face. Amberkit continued to laugh, Nightkit joining in.

"Well, useless?" Blazekit meowed, then shook his head. "You're so stupid you can't even reply!" He cried, and the kits continued to laugh. Blazekit glared at him, then walked away, his followers padding after him like dogs on a leash.

"I'll get my revenge," Stonekit whispered, the first words he'd ever spoken. They had a crisp and fragile sound to them, as they had never been used before."You can guarantee that."

* * *

(Time Skip: Four and a half months)

Stonepaw woke up in a dark and dreary forest. The trees around him were dead and black. He had just become an apprentice, but Blazepaw, Amberpaw, and Nightpaw still tortured him. They had never realized he spoke— nobody did. His mentor was disappointed to get him, since communication wasn't an easy task. The other apprentices had gotten worse now, insulting him daily and spreading rumors about him. He just wanted to die.

"You should never wish to die, Stonepaw," a voice meowed, quiet, commanding, and low. Stonepaw looked wildly around, seeing nothing but mist.

"I'm here," it said again, this time stepping out of the shadows. A huge gray and black tom emerged, with white splashes. Though his pelt was colorful, he was no-where near handsome. Scars criss-crossed his muzzle, a nick was in his right ear, and his tail was shorter than meant to be. His eyes were different colors, yellow and amber, and they were gazing at the apprentice with intensity.

"You can talk. We know that here. We also know your name, so don't bother with the introduction. I'm Scarclaw," the tom chuckled, moving a paw to straighten his whiskers.

"How would you know?" Stonepaw rasped, glancing at him.

"We're the Dark Forest. We know that kind of stuff," he boomed, staring down at Stonepaw.

"I do not belong here. I belong with Starclan," Stonepaw replied, starting to walk away.

"Are they making any effort to help you?" The Scarclaw said, narrowing his eyes.

"You aren't either," Stonepaw meowed back, turning back towards the gray tom.

"That's where you're wrong. We are. We know about Blazepaw and Amberpaw and Nightpaw. We can help you with revenge. We can help you make them suffer," The tom hissed, sinking his claws into the soil. "For the hurt they made you feel. We can make them die a painful death— together.

"They'll never know what happened to them to. It'll be a surprise, an awful one for them. But why should we care about them? We shouldn't. So, will you join us?" He asked, his amber and yellow eyes glowing.

Stonepaw thought about it, mulling it over. If he did, he would get extra training, and Blazepaw and the others would suffer. Just like they made him suffer. If he didn't, it would just be going back to normal life, and he'd have to wait for a big miracle. But, you could say if the miracle would happen?

A grin grew on Stonepaw's face, stretching to show his fangs. It was neither happy nor forced, but something different all together. Evil.

"I accept."

* * *

Stoneclaw raised his head high, watching above on a boulder as thousands of Dark Forest warriors swarmed the clans. He stopped a warrior— Scratchfang, was it?— and he turned.

"I want the medicine cat killed. She couldn't save my mother," he hissed, venom in his words. The other tom nodded, running off. A shriek went up in the air soon after, making him smile.

He had already ordered a bunch of warriors to kill any Shadowclan cat they found; revenge for killing his father. He had also sent some cats to find Blazefur, Nightpelt, and Amberstrike. While he would do the actual killing, he didn't want to waste time running around. Drawing out his claws, he reflected on what happened so many moons ago, and felt a little, was that regret? Shaking his head, he cleared all but one thought.

_It was their fault. They thought it was A Game, but _I'll_ finish this._


End file.
